


Rumor Has It

by Sr_Perez



Category: TXT (Korea Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Conversations, First Kiss, Gossip, Implied/Referenced Underage Relationship(s), Implied/Referenced Underage Sex, Lies, M/M, No Smut, Rumors
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-22
Updated: 2020-02-20
Packaged: 2020-03-09 13:02:52
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,891
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18917578
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sr_Perez/pseuds/Sr_Perez
Summary: There goes Choi Soobin. He's friends with that charming guy, Choi Yeonjun. Someone saw him holding hands with a minor. It was maybe a Chinese kid. Or was it a German exchange student? No, it was definitely an American schoolboy.Who knows?Just him.





	1. There goes Choi Soobin

**Author's Note:**

> this is kind of different from what you're used to read. i hope you like it.
> 
> there are just three people at the beginning, and then a fourth comes in.
> 
> feel free to let me know what you think, even if you don't like something. (ages are not korean!)
> 
> -señor pérez

“Hey guys, look. There goes that boy… what was his name again?”

“Ah. Choi something or something…”

“Hard to miss him. He’s kind of cute, isn’t he? And those legs! Yummy.”

“Oh, so it’s okay if a woman makes that kind of remark? Dude, that’s so unfair.”

“Oh, shut up. I saw you staring at Hana’s ass just this morning.”

“I did not!”

“I think he’s hard to miss because of how freaking tall he is. I heard he also practices boxing or something? Can you imagine fighting against him?”

“Soobin! Choi Soobin, that’s his name, now I remember!”

“Ah.”

“Oh, yeah. A friend of that second year…? He’s super popular…”

“Choi Yeonjun.”

“That’s the one! Ugh, I know at least a dozen people in love with him, so annoying.”

“Well, I don’t think they’ll be friends for long.”

“What? Why?”

“Yeah, why?”

“Rumor has it… that Soobin stole Yeonjun’s boyfriend.”

“What?!”

“No!”

“No, what? What are you talking about?”

“Oh! Come sit with us, we’re just catching up with gossip.”

“Oh my. Okay, make room, move! So what did I miss?”

“The guy sitting there, under that tree? Choi Soobin?”

“A total snack, yes. I heard he’s dating a Chinese boy. Bummer.”

“Ha! See? There’s no way he stole Yeonjun’s boyfriend, they’re like BFF’s and all. Besides, I heard he’s with a German exchange student.”

“No, you got it all wrong. He’s dating an American boy who also happens to be a minor. Like, fourteen or something.”

“What?!”

“Shut up!”

“You know what? I heard the same. Not the American part but the underage thing.”

“Now that’s disgusting. I mean how old is he, eighteen? Nineteen? And what? He picks his baby boyfriend up at school while he’s still wearing his uniform? That’s fucked up. If that’s the case then he’s not as sweet as I thought he was.”

“I mean… American culture is different, they hold hands and kiss like it’s no big deal, unlike us. They’re kind of promiscuous, to be honest.”

“Still! What happens with his Korean values? We’re far from America, things are a certain way here and they should remain like that! Fourteen is too young to be dating an adult!”

“Okay, let me text a friend who knows Choi Yeonjun. He might know something about all this mess.”

“Yeah, I know someone who has a couple of classes with this Soobin guy as well.”

Giggles. “I can’t believe you’re taking it this far. We don’t even know that poor guy, what if it’s all fake? People love talking shit about everyone.”

“Ha! He’s answering!”

“Oh, what’s he saying?”

“What happened to people saying shit about other people?”

“Shut it, you want to know too!”

“So?”

“Hold on… oh my God, he types so slowly! Okay, he says… Oh. Ooh! He is dating a minor! They saw him holding hands with a young boy in his school uniform. A yellow blazer, anyone knows what school that is?”

“So it’s true. What an asshole.”

“I knew it!”

“And what else?”

“Oh, oh! But he can’t be fourteen, my friend says that he’s almost as tall as Soobin himself, and his features weren’t that childish.”

“A lot of fourteen-year-olds are tall, that doesn’t mean anything.”

“Hey, my intel is answering as well.”

“Oh!”

“What’s he saying?!”

Laughs. “What are we, detectives now?”

“It’s a she. And she says… oh my God!”

“What. What?!”

“You’re killing us, tell us!”

“Say it before we confiscate your damn phone!”

“Choi Yeonjun! It’s true! Last Saturday there was a party at the Performing Arts building and some people heard Choi Yeonjun asking Choi Soobin if--”

“If what, oh my god!”

“I swear to god, I’m about to slap--”

“If he slept with him!!!”

“No!!”

“Whaaat?!!”

“That slut!”

“Oh for fuck’s sake what did Soobin say?!”

“She’s typing, stop freaking out!”

“So?”

“So?!”

“I’m dying here!”

“I said stop freaking out! Ahh!”

“What?”

“I swear this is better than all those stupid dramas. Okay. She says… he didn’t answer. He just… kept silent and… wow. He said he was sorry.”

Silence.

“So he… he had sex with a minor?”

“A fourteen-year-old!”

“I mean, we don’t know for sure if he’s fourteen…”

“And he stole him from his best friend!”

“That kid is definitively American. They’re all promiscuous, I tell you.”

“So, wait. That… child or whatever must be magical or something. I mean, Choi Soobin and Choi Yeonjun? You go, kid.”

“Don’t endorse this un-Korean behavior.”

“What’s with you and your patriotism all of a sudden?”

“I just don’t like this mess. He’s just a foreigner, a fucking child, who’s guilty of breaking a good friendship between two very decent Korean guys. I don’t like him.”

“Such a hypocrite, your main searches in porn are teenagers and Caucasian. And yes, I’ve seen your history, so save it.”

“I don’t like the xenophobia either, but he has a point. I mean, the boy did break a friendship.”

“But only if this is true. What if we got something wrong?”

“No. No! This is a story of three and the guilty is the minor? If there’s someone here who did wrong it was Soobin. He’s in university already, an adult! He’s the one who’s responsible for betraying Yeonjun’s trust and messing with a kid.”

“You know what, you’re right. Bros before hoes.”

“I wish I could see this kid one day. He must be cute.”

“I just really want to know if he’s American or German.”

“Or Chinese.”

“How can anyone mistake white from Asian? That’s just stupid. Where the hell did that come from?”

“Well, maybe the kid’s not even foreigner.”

“I just feel really bad for Yeonjun.”

“Yeah… I don’t.”

“You heartless bitch.”

“Meh, he’s single now. I could try my luck.”

“Well, rumor has it that he likes children. You’re too old for him.”

“Ha! Good one.”

“You’re just salty because Yeonjun is so super hot and you’re just… you.”

“Um. Guys.”

“Oh, and what makes you think that the Yeonjun will notice you of all people?”

“Guys.”

“Are you kidding? Just give me a week and I--”

“Guys! Eleven o’clock! The eagle reached the nest!”

“What on earth are you—Oh! Oh shit, that’s Choi Yeonjun!”

“He’s talking to Soobin!”

“Woah. Oh, wow, they look so…”

“Serious.”

“Grim.”

“Murderous.”

“Did Soobin smile a little? I think I saw him smile a little.”

“I don’t see shit, we’re too far.”

“Will all this people shut the fuck up?! I’m trying to listen!”

“Dude, we’re in the middle of campus. Let it go.”

“He smiled! He definitively smiled!”

“Who, Soobin?”

“No, Yeonjun.”

“I see a hand, I see a hand!”

“They’re holding hands, oh my god!”

“Aaand they’re hugging! Yay for friendship!”

“Yay indeed. Take that, underage promiscuous foreigner.”

“Will you shut up already?”

“And they’re going. Huh. I feel good for them.”

“Yeah. Yeah, me too. I’m glad they worked things out.”

“I’m still wondering what truly happened. And what did they say right now.”

“Well, we can still find out.”

“There’s a few more people I can talk to and ask, if you’re interested.”

A pause.

“I’m in!”

“Yes, me too.”

“I want to know too! Oh… but I have class now so let me know when you have news. Later!”

“Oh, crap, me too. Okay, see you!”

Silence.

“Wanna go grab something to eat?”

“Sure. Let’s go.”


	2. It's all Beomgyu's fault

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> the rumor keeps on growing. people can be nasty.
> 
> and then, a trip to the past. to how this mess begun.

“Remember what he talked about the other day?”

“Um, no? About what?”

“About Choi Soobin! The child molester.”

“Ugh, please don’t call him that. I’m sure it’s all a misunderstanding and people’s been feeding it because they’re bored. I actually talked to him a couple times and he’s a very sweet guy.”

“Well, he has to be. How else would he lure his little boyfriend to sleep with him?”

“Can we not? Please?”

“Okay, fine. Oh, noona! Hi!”

“Hey, noona.”

“Hello, hello. I have news about the rumor on Soobin.”

“Not again.”

“Well, you can go if you don’t want to know.”

“Whatever. What is it?”

“Turns out you were right, Soobin was spotted again holding hands with a boy wearing uniform. In campus! A classmate of his told him his boyfriend was cute and he said, proud and all, that he already knew.”

“Shameless.”

“Well, does the kid look fourteen?”

“Ah, I can’t say, no one said anything about the boy’s age. But, some witnesses say that they know the uniform he was wearing. It’s a high school, not a middle school, so he can’t be younger than fifteen.”

“Fifteen is still too young, don’t you think?”

“I don’t know, when I was seventeen I also dated older guys.”

“Sure, but why were they dating a seventeen-year-old schoolgirl?”

Giggles. “For sex, obviously.”

“See? The guy’s disgusting.”

-o-

It was a chilly Monday. That’s when it all started.

“Goal!”

“Noo!”

“Yes! Aaand… again, ladies and gentlemen, we have the ultimate champion, the greatest master, the absolute and resolute--”

“Oi, oi, calm down, Beomgyu-hyung. It’s just air hockey.”

“But I won!”

“Thank you, Taehyun-ah. Beomgyu-hyung can be so loud sometimes.”

“Besides, it’s just Kai. There’s no pride in winning against him.”

“Hey!”

And it all started with these three young boys, more or less. As it was already said, it was a chilly Monday, when the sunlight was dim but the arcade neon lights shone bright. Beomgyu, Taehyun and Kai used to hang out there from time to time after classes, since they went to different schools. In fact, that arcade was the very same place where they started to talk in the first place.

Taehyun and Beomgyu were hoobae and sunbae, respectably, and went to the same school. Taehyun was a quiet and observant boy, wise beyond his age, honest, humble and sometimes spineless, while Beomgyu was expressive, energetic, super cute most of the time, but he could snap in a second and attack without warning. They were total opposites but for some reason their friendship worked. One day they met Kai, a kid from another school who was just half year younger than Taehyun, wandering on his own in the arcade and invited him to play with them. Kai was half American and half Korean, but he had Chinese accent; he was tall and could pass as an older boy, but he had the childish personality of a twelve-year-old. He followed Taehyun and Beomguy like a lost puppy and agreed with everything they wanted to do at first, but once he felt more at ease it was obvious that he was a little shit. So, slowly but surely, their meetings became a constant, and the constant became a solid friendship.

“So, you know what this means, Kai-ssi,” Beomgyu smiled with fake sweetness. Kai groaned.

“This means nothing, it’s just a stupid game. Let’s play again, I’ll beat you this time!”

“No, no! We made a bet and you lost! You’ll come with me this Friday if you have honor! Tell him, Tae!” Beomgyu insisted. Kai groaned again, louder.

“Well, I don’t know about honor, but if you agreed to gamble then don’t complain now, Kai. Besides, it’s just a party, what’s the worst that could happen?”

The white large room was filled with small lights in every color and beeping and music coming from every game. It was crowded with boys and girls their age laughing and talking. For a moment, the trio was silent. Kai seemed to –reluctantly- consider the words of the other two. He bit his lip, swaying a little, tapping his fingers on the air hockey table. “I don’t know, hyung… I mean, what would I say, what would we do? What should I wear?! I’m sixteen, isn’t that pretty obvious?! And you want me to--”

“You don’t have to worry about anything, I swear! And I wouldn’t ask you to come if I didn’t need your help.” Beomgyu went to Kai’s side of the table and grabbed his arm softly. “But if you’re not sure then it’s okay, you don’t have to come.”

Kai glared at him. “You’re trying to manipulate me, aren’t you?”

“No,” Beomgyu beamed. “Maybe a little. Is it working?”

“I hate you. So much. I really hate you, Beomgyu-hyung.”

The elder laughed. “No, but really. If you don’t want to come, then don’t worry. You’re a big baby still, after all. We’ll have plenty of these parties when we’re in university.”

“What I don’t understand is why you’re not bugging Tae with this as well.”

“Oh, he did.” Taehyun said with a serene smile. “But unlike you, I was smart enough to say no from the beginning and then to say no again when he offered the stupid bet. If it makes you feel better, though, I’ll come too to make you company.”

Beomgyu jumps at this. “Yes!”

“But,” Taehyun kept saying pointing directly at Kai, “You’re still playing the friend part. I refuse to take a part in this mess.” Then he pointed at Beomgyu. “And I’ll only go to make sure no one kidnaps Kai. If he’s not going, you’re on your own.”

“Whatever, I’ll take it. Come on, Kai, Tae will come with us. You’ll be the best wingman ever, I can tell.”

For the third time, Kai groaned. “Yes, alright, fine! I’ll go to that stupid party and I’ll be the ‘friend’ to introduce to your crush’s ‘friend’ and do the double date thing or whatever it is that--”

The younger couldn’t finish his speech. Without warning, Beomgyu jumped on Kai and almost suffocated him.

Taehyun sighed. “Pair of idiots.”

-o-

They were teenagers with a mission. A specific target they needed to conquer.

The name was: Choi Yeonjun.

His occupation: being a student in Hongik. Also, a professional tease. For what they’d heard from Beomgyu, there were a lot of girls after him. It wasn’t clear if he was a player or not, but Kai couldn’t guess which one his hyung preferred. Beomgyu was weird like that.

Age: nineteen. It was February and Beomgyu’s birthday was near, but he was still only seventeen years old… not that Yeonjun knew that, of course.

No, Yeonjun’s and Beomgyu’s version of their relationship were a little different one from the other. According to Yeonjun, Beomgyu was an eighteen-year-old student in K-Arts. It was easy to see how he could fall for that lie, being that Beomgyu was tall, had a great fashion style, had a strong personality and could be fairly intimidating when he wanted. Besides, with all the piercings he had and his chestnut hair, he looked as if he belonged to the art scene.

Now, Kai knew the truth, alright. Even if Beomgyu turned eighteen in March, Korean law said that he’d be legal in 2020, and until then he’d still be a high school student, with his uniform and all, who loved to win toys in the arcade with his friends when he had free time and didn’t have to do his homework. Yeonjun knew nothing of that, nothing at all, and Kai didn’t know much about stuff in general, but he suspected that what Beomgyu was doing would come bite him in the ass sooner or later.

But, you know, whatever. That was Beomgyu’s problem.

…Or, you know, it was until Beomgyu decided to drag Kai into his little plot.

How Yeonjun and Beomgyu met: in Hongdae, of course. You see, Beomgyu was a person of contradictions, and while he loved his pranks and games (and jumping around like a little monkey), he took music seriously. Kai was in awe the first time he saw him play the guitar, and from time to time they went to drink something—not alcohol, of course—at one of the bars with live band. It was a late Saturday night that the three boys went to see a band of young women who played garage rock that Beomgyu went to get more fries and there, at the bar, he met someone.

Guess who that someone is.

They exchanged numbers. They clicked so well. They met the next weekend. Then they kept talking. They met the weekend after that. And it was all so very platonic.

Beongyu was, in his own words, losing his damn mind.

“Yeonjunie introduced me to his friends. You should’ve seen me, I was so cool, they all thought I was one of them, ha. But then this girl came and she was wearing the shortest skirt in the universe. What the hell? It’s February! How come she didn’t freeze to death?! And Jun was talking to her all attentive and shit but then I told him I was going and bam! He insisted that I should stay a little longer and then we talked for hours. And then we played Uno. He looked so good. God, his smile. He’s so… he’s so…”

“You’re so thirsty, hyung.”

“Shut up!” A slap on the arm, followed by an ‘ouch!’ and some giggles. “I just have a little crush. It happens. Anyways, he wants me to go to this party, he said his best friend’s been looking for someone, you know, like a boyfriend or girlfriend, and I told him I could introduce him a friend of mine.”

“Oh, that’s nice, hyung. I didn’t know you had other friends.”

Beomgyu ignored Kai’s comment. “And he also tells me that he introduced me his friends and classmates but he doesn’t know any of my friends, so…”

“Well, you have ‘till Friday to meet someone who’s old enough to drink. Good luck with that.”

“And you know who’s the first one I thought of when he mentioned a friend of mine?”

Kai looked at Beomgyu with a raised brow. “Taehyun already said no, right?”

“Yeah.”

“Yeah, I pass. There’s no way in hell I’ll go to a party filled with older people knowing that it will end with me embarrassing myself in one way or another.”

The elder grabbed the air-hockey disk and smirked. “Uh-huh. How about a little bet?”

And we all know how that story ends.

-o-

Flash forward a few days after. That’s how we get to The Next Friday.

The city night was black and gold, the weather was as cold as the Viking hell. On the streets, people everywhere were getting ready for party, you could feel the happiness that could only be felt on a Friday night. For the boys, however, it was a little different. They got off the bus at the station that Yeonjun texted Beomgyu and exchanged looks of anxiety. It was a neighborhood downtown, with steel skyscrapers. The party was at a classmate’s apartment—a rather wealthy classmate, at that. Any other time, that’d be a reason to cheer up, to take the opportunity to enjoy going into one of those luxurious buildings, but now it just added to the pressure of keeping the act.

Why were they doing this, again?

Oh, right.

Damn it, Beomgyu.

The three of them had spent at least two hours choosing what they’d wear for the infamous party. They went through Naver, dramas, online magazines and Instagram to get an idea of what a university student looked like, as if they were scientist in search for a rare bird or something like that. They had to be meticulous, since they had enough of a baby face, a convincing outfit was necessary. Beomgyu was ‘this’ close to pierce a hole in Kai’s earlobe, because ‘all the art students wear this shit, come on!’ but thankfully, Taehyun convinced him otherwise.

It was also Taehyun who proposed to dress less pompous and more natural. Jeans, hoodies and jackets, nothing more. Kai was the happiest with that decision, he wasn’t a fan of skinny jeans and he liked his ears just the way they were, thank you very much.

But then came The Makeup.

It was just some BB-cream and powder. At first, at least. But then they started watching all these Youtube tutorials and then ended up in a never-ending rabbit hole of beauty gurus, Korean MUA’s, Japanese MUA’s, American MUA’s, supermodels’ skincare routines, and so on. That’s how Taehyun ended up buying some eyeshadow, a couple of brushes, some blush and lip tint and voilà, he had suddenly become a makeup artist himself.

(“I’m not a makeup artist, shut up. Now close your eyes or I’m gonna stab you in the eye.”)

Kang Taehyun was truly a magician. The three of them looked natural and a couple years older, as if they weren’t wearing makeup at all. It was mindblowing.

In the end, Beomgyu wore some black skinnies, combat boots, a wool jumper and a parka. Taehyun put on black trousers, leather shoes, a loose sweater and a caramel coat. And Kai decided to wear black jeans, his favorite Nike’s, a hoodie, a beanie and his long padded jacket.

Did they look like university dudes? They had no clue, but at least they looked good. With that thought in mind was that they took their bus and paid their student fare. Classy as fuck. But then they arrived to this decadent place with funny bushes and water fountains and buildings looking like mirrors and reality hit as cold and as hard as the February wind.

“Listen to me you both. We’re friends since high school and the three of us are eighteen, alright? But Kai, just say you’re taking a year off before going into uni, okay? There’s still a fucking lot of things you don’t know about our culture and I don’t want to be exposed this early because of you.”

“You should’ve thought of that before, Gyu-hyung.”

“I know that already. Now let’s go, Yeonjun texted me asking where I am.”

Kai and Taehyun sighed at unison and walked behind their hyung.

It was going to be a long night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i'm sorry for the delay! at this point i think it's pretty obvious that english is not my first language, i'm still learning and i hope to keep on publishing for as long as i can, so if you have any suggestions or if you found any errors please let me know so i can avoid making the same mistake again! thank you~
> 
> i wanted to make this chapter long enough to show how sookai met, but unfortunately i had to cut it because i have so much to do x_x and i also have to update my other fic x___x
> 
> help.
> 
> send comments. thank you <3
> 
> -señor pérez


	3. In love with a Choi - part I

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> beomgyu (17) convinces kai (16) and taehyun (16) to go with him to a party full of legal/university students/+18 people because his love interest, yeonjun (19), asked him to bring a friend to introduce to his own friend, like... as a date or something.
> 
> and since beomgyu told yeonjun that he and his friends are 18... it would be very bad if anyone knew the three boys are still in highschool.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i feel defeated because i wanted to upload the whole chapter but it's been so long already. i don't think anyone will read this but meh. at least i can say i tried. i'm sorry if there're some mistakes.
> 
> trigger warning at the end to avoid spoilers.

Beomgyu’s room was a nice picture of its owner’s style and personality. Gray walls, black duvet, black lacquered furniture and, to add a bold dash of color, bright blue and silver cushions and pictures of musicians under purple and yellow lights playing in concerts on the walls. There was an electric guitar with a tiny amplifier on a corner, next to an acoustic guitar and the electric piano. His books and figures were neatly posed on shelves and it all smelled of his shampoo and cologne, like sweet spices, bergamot and wood and just a hint of something citric, energetic. And his closet… so organized and sophisticated that Kai didn’t know how on earth, with his own shameful taste in clothing, they ever got to be friends.

There were only a few hours before the party and Taehyun had left for a moment to buy makeup, insisting on going alone to save time. A tune of classic rock played on the Bluetooth speaker while Beomgyu and Kai talked about the night they had ahead. They had already decided two rules for the night, 1: no silent phone and 2: when they decided to leave, they would leave together. That was pretty much it, the rest was just how to blend in and have a good time.

(And to help Beomgyu to get his boy).

However, the three of them agreed that their biggest concern was Kai’s inexperience and kitten-like personality.

“They’ll try to sleep with you. I mean, it’s possible.”

“As in… sex?”

They were sitting on the bed. Beomgyu’s lips were teasing, yet his eyes were kind. “Yes, I mean sex, you big child.”

There was a big pause in which Kai didn’t know what to say to that.

“Now, don’t make that face, it’s nothing terrible. If it makes you feel better, a few of Yeonjun’s friends came up to me for that. Okay, most of them weren’t exactly his friends, but… whatever, the thing is… if you want to, you can do it, I won’t judge--”

“What?!”

“--But if it happens, if this friend Yeonjun wants you to meet is that amazing or… or even someone else, who knows, please don’t do it under the influence. No alcohol, no pot, no coke, no… ugh, I don’t even know shit about drugs,” Beomgyu sighed. Kai was mortified. “Okay, if they want to give you something, just say no and get the hell out. Oh, and they won’t say it directly, just so you know. No, they’ll be like, ‘uh, we could go somewhere private’… that means sex by the way, or ‘I have something to make this more interesting’, that’s drugs, so careful, alright? Also, don’t be a stupid horny teenager, use protection… in fact, here,” he took two condoms from his nightstand and handed them to Kai, who looked at them as if they were about to jump to his neck to attack him, “you don’t want to catch something from those artsy students, they’re like… they sleep with everyone.”

“How do you even know that?!”

The big brother’s smile was cheeky. “You know they teach this stuff in school, right?”

Kai rolled his eyes. “Not that. Them.”

Beomgyu gave him a glance. He seemed to consider his answer for a moment before looking at his hands on his lap and answer while he played with one of his rings. He really had beautiful hands.

“I’ve been to enough meetings with these people, I had to learn quickly. They… they’re not all like that, obviously, and I do have fun when we hang out. Otherwise, I wouldn’t spend so much time with them, not even for Yeonjun-hyung. But some of them… yeah. But you and I, we’re different, you trust too easily sometimes, so I feel like I need to warn you.”

Kai blinked.

“And… have you…?”

“Nope. It was tempting though. Hypocritical, I know, I’m supposed to be loyal to my crush and my crush only, right?” he scoffed.

“Not really,” the younger muttered. Beomgyu looked at him surprised. “It’s something new, I guess, and he and you…”

“Yeah…” the elder smiled sadly. “We’re nothing. We owe each other nothing.”

Kai pouted and hugged him. It was more like he tackled him and pinned him down on his bed, but the effect was more or less the same. “Ah, don’t be sad, Beomgyu-hyung.”

“Get off me, brat!” he whined, but he hugged him back anyway. The pair ended up giggling. “You big baby,” mumbled the elder after they fell silent, giving in to the almighty cuddles.

Beomgyu’s warmth was soothing, his sweater so fluffy, and his hair tickling Kai’s forehead and cheekbone was super soft. The younger sighed and caressed Beomgyu’s belly.

He whispered, “Are you in love, hyung?”

A pause.

“I think I am,” Beomgyu said in a tiny voice that made Kai’s heart break a little. “I feel so stupid.”

Kai exhaled. Neither said anything else for a long instant.

“You’re not stupid. I’ll be your wingman, hyung. I’ll be the best wingman ever, I swear.”

A chuckle. “Okay. Thank you, Kai.”

-

Once they got to the apartment, a girl with glittery makeup greeted them as if they were old friends, with a hug and all. Kai almost called her noona. She told them to leave their shoes at the foyer, next to the hundred others, and then just disappeared. They didn’t even get properly inside the place and they could already see the skyscrapers and the night sky through the huge windows covering the entire opposite wall, which seemed to be twice the height of a normal flat. “Lead the way,” said Taehyun, and Beomgyu led them into the unknown. That’s when Kai noticed the warmth of the wooden floor. It was nice. Also, kind of expensive; he knew this because his father’s penthouse in Shanghai and the house in Beijing also had radiant floor heating.

The boy sighed. It was never good to think of certain things.

“He says he’s waiting for us in the kitchen,” Beomgyu said after checking his phone. It was easy to spot the kitchen; it was an open space on a far side of the hall that was a little more illuminated than the rest.

Kai was in awe, trying really hard not to let it show. He was supposed to be used to all that. To the crowd dancing in the dark, to the girls under the moonlight making out, to the boys barely standing because of how drunk they were, to the white smoke passing from one mouth to the other. The light was scarce and everything was obscure, like a huge secret, but loud and carefree and… frightening.

It was foreign, so far away from his room filled with plushies and his simple games with Beomgyu-hyung and Taehyun. This lavish apartment filled with pretty things and pretty people offered a kind of entertainment that he had never sought out on his own before. He knew that if he were more like some of his classmates, he’d be thrilled just to be there… but he wasn’t, he wasn’t that kind of boy and he was doing this for a friend, so he pulled his best poker face and followed Beomgyu quietly, like the grownup he was supposed to be.

“There he is!” A voice cheered right when Beomgyu, Taehyun and Kai were entering the kitchen area, where the famous Yeonjun would be waiting for them. The voice belonged to a young man… or was it a boy? No matter, he was gorgeous, raising both arms and smiling like a cute happy child, sitting on the granite island, right in the middle of the chaos: of people trying to get drunk, things getting spilled, chips and doritos crushed on the floor and hands holding cups and bottles and faces. “Gyu! I’ve been waiting for you since forever, what the hell!” the beautiful stranger said, dressed like a modern James Dean but with piercings and teal hair. Beomgyu’s face lightened in half a second and that’s when Kai knew that was Yeonjun. Kai was impressed, not many people were as attractive and cool as his hyung, but Yeonjun proved to be one cute exception. He bet they’d make a cute couple.

“I’m sorry hyung, but we’re here now! These are Taehyun and Kai, they’re both eighteen like me. See? I have friends, I told you!” Beomgyu said in that cheery voice that gave away his happiness. His friends trailed behind him and then, after days of dreadful preparation, they were in front of Choi Yeonjun, Beomgyu’s Source of Happiness and Demise. Taehyun hooked his arm around Kai’s and rested his temple on his shoulder, the younger knew it was to reassure him but it was hard now that he noticed the two guys sitting next to Yeonjun. They were obviously with him and looking at the two youngest with curiosity. One of them… was Kai’s blind date. And the two of them were as hot as Yeonjun.

“Oh! Hello, nice to meet you! Beomgyu-ah hasn’t told me much about you,” Yeonjun said while he looked at the mentioned boy with a flirty-yet-disapproving expression. Beomgyu giggled and slapped lightly on his knee, “but I hope we get along! You can call me Yeonjun-hyung. These are Jihwan-hyung and Soobin, my flat-mate. You remember them, right Gyu?”

“Of course, hyung. Hello Jihwan-hyung, Soobin!”

Yeonjun’s friends seemed nice. Jihwan (20, third year) had wide shoulders, strong jawline, and a charming smile. Soobin (18, first year) had lovely eyes and the kind of face that featured on movies and dramas. The group of six remained there, unbothered, with the buzz of the bohemian art students as white noise.

“We were late because Beomgyu took two hours to get ready,” Taehyun blamed with a pleased face. He promptly got smacked by the accused.

“I did not!” Beomgyu denied, but his defense was weak because he just couldn’t stop laughing.

“Aww, you know you don’t need to doll up, Gyu. You’re gorgeous just like that,” Yeonjun winked.

Kai wondered if Yeonjun noticed the way Beomgyu bashfully fought his joyful smile at his comment to keep his charade. “See, Tae? Jun-hyung’s a better friend than you!”

Taehyun smirked. “If he can be ready for a party in under an hour, he’s also a better friend than you.”

Kai just laughed, afraid that the moment he made the wrong comment they’d see the child he really was.

Suddenly, Jihwan came with a six-pack from the fridge. “Nobody’s drinking and that’s a problem. Let’s solve it now!”

“Ah, thank you hyung. It’s a pity that Kai can’t drink tonight, he’s on medication,” Taehyun lied, taking Kai completely by surprise. They exchanged a silent glance. “Trust me,” seemed to say his friend’s eyes.

Jihwan put on a saddened face. “Come on, really? Not even an innocent little can of beer?”

Kai shrugged, smiling timidly. “Yes, sorry.”

“Then have something else,” Yeonjun offered. “I think there’s ice tea, soda… water?”

“Here, choose,” a voice said next to him. It was Soobin, who had barely said a word in that entire time, holding a can of Coca-Cola and a bottle of grape juice. Kai picked the juice and thanked the elder, who just nodded and retreated to lean back against the counter next to Yeonjun.

“Soobin-ah, so sweet,” the blue-haired young man kissed his friend’s cheek, making him wrinkle his nose and whine.

Soobin was quiet but gentle, Yeonjun was attentive and flirty and Jihwan was boisterous and talkative. The two groups of friends seemed to mix nicely, talking about music and action movies… not unlike what the schoolboys used to talk about when they hung out on their own. There was a difference though, subtle but still there; Beomgyu was softer with his voice and manners, and he smiled more. He was supposed to act more mature, but instead he brought out a sweeter version of himself. Kai thought it suited him. He really hoped that night would be a good one for his friend.

Then, right when Yeonjun was telling them about how he would get them all drunk so he could drag them to dance, a beautiful girl with purple hair appeared out of nowhere, said hello and excused herself, saying that she needed to borrow Soobin for a moment. While Jihwan seemed amused by this, Yeonjun gave a tight-lipped smile and Soobin just sighed, clearly uncomfortable, and nodded. The girl grabbed Soobin’s hand and took him away, the boy had barely time to say it was nice to meet them as politely as it was possible before disappearing into the crowd. There was a silence so awkward that it was painful, until Yeonjun intervened.

“So, Kai,” he clasped, almost causing the poor child a heart attack for the surprise and the sudden spotlight put on him. “Gyu didn’t lie when he said you were cute.”

There was something about Yeonjun’s eyes, lips and cheekbones when he smiled. Also, his body language, the way he moved. Well, maybe it was everything.

“Of course I didn’t lie, I’m only friends with cute people,” Beomgyu hugged Kai’s waist and the younger looked at him with endearment. “You said you wanted to introduce him to your best friend, I thought you were talking about Soobin.”

Yeonjun raised his eyebrows and Jihwan snorted. “The girl who took him is his ex. Or is she his girlfriend again? Anyway, no, I was talking about my other good friend here, Jihwan-hyung. He’s one handsome guy, isn’t he?”

At this, Jihwan winked at the schoolboy. “We could have a chat in private, get to know each other?”

Kai’s eloquent answer? “Oh. Uh…”

“It’s okay, Jihwan is harmless, you can trust him!” Insisted Yeonjun.

“Yup, harmless, I promise. We can go to the balcony, there’s a lot of people there.”

Honestly, Kai wasn’t so thrilled about a ‘private chat’. But if they said the guy was harmless and that they’d go to a place filled with people then it was fine, right? It was just getting to know each other. He just hoped he wouldn’t be so awkward.

“No, we’re good here,” declared Beomgyu now holding Kai possessively.

“We can talk here, right Kai?” Taehyun said calmly, putting a hand on his shoulder.

Kai wasn’t stupid, he got the hint, but he had come to that party only to meet Yeonjun’s friend so he didn’t understand the sudden attitude of his friends. It was a good opportunity, if he and Tae left Beomgyu alone with Yeonjun, this could be the chance his hyung was waiting for. He just had to play his part properly and keep Jihwan entertained for at least an hour.

The best wingman ever.

“It’s okay, we’ll just talk. Text me if anything happens,” he said with his well-practiced cute voice and carefree grin. “Let’s go, hyung.”

Jihwan cheered and did kind of the same thing Soobin’s girlfriend did just two minutes before: he took his hand and took him away. As he felt himself being pulled back, Kai gave a last glance to his friends and could see the worry in their faces and Yeonjun trying to reassure them with a laidback attitude.

In a blur, they were outside. The balcony seemed to connect all the interior rooms of the apartment, it didn’t have any lights on –judging by the amount of people making out or doing who knows what with hushed voices, it was totally on purpose—, and soon Kai realized that the floor wasn’t heated in that part of the apartment. That was good, because then it wouldn’t be weird if after five minutes he declared to be freezing and asked to go back inside to look for Tae; then everything would be easier. The thought was encouraging.

“What’s that smell?” He asked when a funny smoke reached him.

Jihwan chuckled and tilted his head, giving him an amused smile. “You’re so sweet. That’s weed, Kai-ssi. Want some? I could roll us one to share.”

“Ah… haha, no, thank you.” He struggled to mask his sudden panic and pretended to admire the landscape before them. They could see practically half Seoul from there, its buildings and mountains, the Han river with its bridges, its electric glow illuminating the faces of a couple of friends sharing a bottle of soju just two meters away from Jihwan. “So… how long have you and Yeonjun-hyung been friends?”

“A little less than a year, we were introduced by a mutual friend. But I had heard of him almost since his first week in university, the guy is like a social magnet.”

“Yeah, Beomgyu told me the same. I can see that now that I met him.”

“A total whore, too,” Jihwan said as if he was complimenting his friend. Kai’s polite smile froze. “He gets off teasing everyone. Of all the people I’ve ever met, he’s the fastest way to an STD.”

Kai took a moment to process that declaration. He frowned, confused. “I thought you were… friends…”

Jihwan looked as if the younger had just said the most amusing thing. “It’s okay! God, you’re really sweet, you know? I’m not a hypocrite, I like to say things as they are, that’s all… Choi Yeonjun is, well, kind of a slut, but he’s having fun so good for him,” he shrugged. Kai was marveled at the contrast between his confidence and his friendly voice and his sharp words. He had never met someone like that before. “Nice view, huh?”

Kai felt obligated to respond accordingly. “Yes. Um. It reminds me of Beijing.”

“Oh, that’s where the accent comes from! So you’re from China?”

“Yes.” Not really. “Been here for a couple of years with my family.” Three years actually, with only half of his family.

“That’s awesome,” Jihwan said, and then he just stared at the horizon. Kai was about to complain about the cold when the elder added, “it’s really cold outside, we could talk somewhere else.”

“Yes, we could look for the rest of the guys.”

“Pfft! And ruin their fun? Trust me, Yeonjunnie and your friend… what was his name?”

“Beomgyu?”

“Doll-face, yes! Ah, Yeonjun is one lucky bastard… They’re probably fucking right now. You sure you want to interrupt that?”

Honestly, Kai doubted that was the case and the choice of words almost made him cringe. However, Jihwan had a point; it’d be counterproductive to interrupt whatever was going on between them. Then he thought of Taehyun, but before he could say anything, the elder was dragging him by his wrist again to a farther part of the balcony.

“Wait, we can get Taehyun, he’s probably—”

Jihwan was annoyingly charming when he smiled. “You told them to text you if anything happened, right? They’re probably having fun, like you should, too!”

“Yes, have fun,” he muttered as they passed people. His feet followed the lead of that man while his eyes followed the trails of the lampposts along the roads of the city. Laughter and music and conversations and wet noises went by as they reached a sliding glass door and Jihwan unlocked it not even checking if it was occupied.

“Did I mention I’m the host of this party?” The elder said as if he was reading Kai’s mind. “Mom and dad took a trip to Ubud and they left me all alone for an entire week. Nice, huh?”

“It’s nice, yes.”

They entered. It was a big bedroom, all lights off, so impersonal that Kai suspected it was a guestroom. The floor was warm again and Kai noticed how cold his feet had gotten. His hands as well and, even if the heating inside was fully working, it was as if the whole winter had stuck to his clothes.

“Uff, here,” Jihwan rubbed his hands against Kai’s arms. The boy was tense at first, but the elder didn’t do anything else and after a minute Kai begun to feel his arms a little warmer.

“Thank you,” he said in a quiet voice.

“My pleasure, Kai,” the man winked, then sat on the bed and patted a spot next to him. The schoolboy complied, sitting crisscrossed. They couldn’t see the city from there but they could still see other buildings and the night sky. For a moment, neither of them said anything. The silence extended even while Jihwan went to pick a blanket from a closet and put it over their shoulders. After that, the man sat considerably closer to Kai.

Despite the warmth and coziness, the boy was suddenly missing the cold balcony. “So… do you like music?” It was a lame question, Kai knew it, but he just had to cut that awkward silence somehow.

A chuckle. “So adorable. You’re nervous, I get it. Actually, I’m a little nervous too, you know?”

The schoolboy turned to Jihwan. “Really?”

“Of course baby, look at you,” he slurred, and it was dark but Kai could still see the way he looked at his lips. “When Jun told me he arranged a little date for me, I never thought I could get so lucky. You’re truly special, Kai.”

“Right,” Kai tried to turn away, but Jihwan put his hand on his face to stop him. It wasn’t aggressive, but it wasn’t nice either.

“What, you don’t believe me?” He smirked. The university student tried to get closer while the boy tried to move backwards, but the hand on his cheek moved deftly to his nape and softly kept him in place. There was no force involved, but he still felt like he couldn’t do anything. “Look at you, you’re such a cutie,” he said next to his ear. “Mouthwatering.”

Kai gasped when he felt Jihwan mouth on his neck. It felt hot, like the hand on the back of his neck, like the robust body curling against his. Was that a kiss? Could it be called a kiss?

Was that his first kiss?

Jihwan exhaled in his neck and then kissed him again, lower, using teeth and tongue, and Kai could only see the dark ceiling and realize that now he was laying on his back. The hand on his neck was now grabbing strands of his hair, and above him the man was using his own body to pin him down. He could hear those same wet noises from before in the balcony, but now next to his ear, against his skin, vibrating on his whole body, and…

It hurt. He had no idea kisses could hurt that much. What was that hyung doing to his neck? And the shivers down his spine had his back tensing, hard, and Jihwan laughed against his wet skin, and his other hand suddenly found his naked belly, and…

His heart was pumping. He tried to say something. He had to say something, but he couldn’t. He could barely breathe…

He could barely…

“I said get off, Jihwan!”

Somebody pulled the man away from Kai. Jihwan was still holding a handful of his hair, so he jerked the schoolboy upwards by force. It was even more painful than whatever the elder was doing before, but at least he could scream it out. He sat up, hunched down and tried to soothe his scalp and neck, when he heard the elder’s voice. Only this time, the friendly tone was harder to believe.

“Choi,” he scoffed. Tried to seem composed but failed miserably. “That was fucking rude.”

Kai looked up. There was another man in front of him, acting as a barrier between him and Jihwan. Even if he had seen him once, the boy recognized him from behind.

It was Soobin.

“Kai-ssi, are you alright?” asked the newcomer while still keeping his eyes on the elder.

Before Kai could answer, Jihwan chuckled. “Can’t you see we’re a little busy? You could, maybe, kindly fuck off please?”

Now Soobin turned to the boy. With a calm voice, he repeated. “Kai-ssi, are you alright?”

“He’ll be alright after you go away and let us be!” Jihwan complained from the other side of the room.

Soobin gave him a death glare but didn’t act further. It was enough to make the elder shut up, though.

The young man looked at the schoolboy again. “Kai-ssi, do you want me to leave you with--”

“No,” Kai said, shaking his head. “I don’t.”

Soobin nodded. “Okay. Come on, then,” he signaled to the door—the wooden one that connected to the inside of the apartment, not to the other one—and waited for Kai to stand up.

But Jihwan wasn’t done yet. He gave two steps in their direction, yelling at the younger. “Are you kidding me? Little bitch, you lead me on to just leave like that? God, you and Yeonjun are the same kind of easy--”

Soobin walked over to Jihwan and pushed him hard against the wall. The elder couldn’t recover from that first blow when Soobin, taller and seemingly stronger, hit with his open palm the wall, right next to Jihwan’s head. It was fast enough and it hit loud enough to scare even Kai, making him flinch. Then, and only then, Jihwan got the message and reluctantly shut up.

Neither of the three males said nor did anything else.

The tall young man returned to the teenager with nothing but the same gentle smile than before, a little upset but sincere, unlike Jihwan’s. Kai couldn’t smile like that, not at that moment, so he settled for a nod. He followed Soobin, who opened the door and closed it after them, and they left in silence that cursed room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: attempted rape, non-con.
> 
> i'll see the response to this chapter and then i'll decide if i go on with this story or not. i know it's not very good but at least people seemed to enjoy it some months ago :(
> 
> i'm the worst.

**Author's Note:**

> would you like to know what really happened?


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